Matrimonial fraud: How Ivory Coast fraudster impersonated an NRI, cheated Hyd woman

Hyderabad: The sleuths of the cyber crime police station, Rachakonda, arrested an Ivory Coast national who had cheated a woman by impersonating an NRI through matrimonial sites. Amara Fanny (24), a businessman by profession, was living in Uttam Nagar in Dwarka, Delhi.

The woman, in her complaint, said she had registered with matrimonial sites looking for a groom. She received a request from an NRI, and after a few conversations, he told her he was coming to India and that he wanted to marry her. After a few days, she received a call from the airport authority who said the NRI had landed at the airport with a lot of foreign currency but he was not carrying a valid fever certificate.

They told the woman huge sums were required for anti-terrorism clearance certificates, drug clearance certificate, certificates of international vaccination certificate, etc. After she paid the said amounts, they stopped responding to her.

Based on her complaint, the police took up an investigation which revealed that Amara Fanny and I.K Finich who hails from Nigeria had learnt about online/cyber fraud from other Nigerian nationals. They had registered themselves on different matrimonial sites with fake names, email IDs, and fake photos.

In 2022, they registered with a matrimonial site using their procured mobile number and fake email id.

When the complainant showed an interest in their profile, the accused persons started talking to her and asked her to transfer huge sums citing various reasons. Based on technical evidence collected, the team proceeded to New Delhi and arrested Amara Fanny and brought him to Hyderabad on a transit warrant. Later, he was sent for judicial custody. A case was registered under sections 417, 419, and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 66 (C) and 66 (D) of the IT Act.

The Rachakonda police have also issued a notice to another accused, I.K Finich, under section 41A of the CrPC. Finich (32), who is originally from Nigeria, lives in Uttam Nagar in Dwaraka, New Delhi.